Sliced meat package



Jan. 22, 1963 w. M. TOLAAS I SLICED MEAT PACKAGE File d June 19, 1961 W) ///'am M 72/405 BY [gg ph award 3,074,611 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 hce 3,074,611 SLICED MEAT PACKAGE William M. Tolaas, dt. Paul, Minn, assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed June 19, 1961, Ser. No. 118,156 2 Claims. (631. 229-9) This invention relates to an improvement in a sliced meat package and deals particularly with a simple and effective carton for containing strips of sliced meat such as bacon or the like and from which the contents may be easily removed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton including an outer member which comprises a tubular carton having one closed end and one open end. One or more of the panels of the carton may be provided with window apertures so that the contents of the package may be sealed. The other carton member comprises a flat sheet of paperboard including a bottom panel and opposed side wall panels designed to fit snugly into the tubular outer container. The inner carton portion includes a single end wall which is designed to close the otherwise open end of the tubular outer carton. The end wall is provided with a cover flap which extends over the ends of the strips of bacon or the like. A flap is cut from this cover panel and is foldable over the outer surface of the tubular outer container and is adhered thereto. This flap secures the carton closed to prevent the package from being opened prior to its sale to the customer. However, in opening the carton, the flap may be pulled free of engagement with the top panel and used as a handle in opening and reclosing the carton.

The main object of the present invention resides in the provision of the locking tab or flap which is secured to the exterior surface of the tubular carton and which may serve both as a seal to hold the carton closed, and as a convenient handle for sliding the inner part of the carton into and out of the outer tubular part thereof.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carton in closed and sealed condition.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carton in partially opened position.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank showing the inner portion of the carton and the manner in which it is formed.

The outer portion of the package A is formed as best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. As indicated in this figure, the carton includes a side wall panel if), a top panel 11, a second side wall panel 12 and a bottom panel 13, the panels being connected along parallel lines of fold 14, 15, and 16 respectively. A glue flap 17 is foldably connected to the bottom panel 13 along a fold line 19, the glue fiap 17 being adhered to the inner surface of the side wall 16 in the formed carton to form a tubular construction.

One end of each of the panels is defined by a fold line 20 which connects the wall panels 16, 11, 12, and 13 to closing flaps 21, 22, 23, and 24, respectively. When the outer portion of the carton is closed, the flaps 21 and 23 connected to the side walls 14 and 12 respectively, are folded into a common plane, and the bottom wall flap 24 is folded upwardly to overlie these first folded flaps 21 and 23. The top panel flap 22 is then folded down and adhered to the panel 24 to close the end of the tubular construction.

As indicated, the top panel 11 may be provided with a window opening 23 which is closed by a transparent sheet of iiim as indicated at 26.

The inner tray portion 27 is formed as is best illustrated in FlGURE 4 of the drawings. The tray 27 includes a bottom panel 29 which is foldably connected along parallel fold lines 30 and 31 to side walls 32 and 33. The side walls 32 and 33 are preferably tapered at one end as indicated at 34 and 35 respectively to simplify the insertion of the inner tray portion of the carton into the outer tubular portion thereof. The bottom panel 29 is of proper width to fit between the side walls 10 and 12 of the tubular outer portion of the carton, and the side Walls 32 and 33 are designed to fit inwardly of these side walls 10 and 12. The length of the panel 29 is substantially equal to the length of the top and bottom panels 11 and 13 of the outer carton portion.

An end wall 36 is hingedly secured along a fold line 37 to the end of the bottom panel opposite that adjoining the tapered side wall edges 34 and 35, and the end wall 36 is foldably connected along the fold line 39 to a top panel dd. The end wall 36 is foldably connected along extensions of the fold lines Call and 3 1 to corner flaps 41 and 42 which may be folded into face contact with the side walls 32, and 33 to close the corners of the carton section. The top panel 46 is preferably relatively short and merely overlies the ends of the strips of bacon B, the bacon being the usual product used in the particular carton illustrated.

A generally U-shaped cut line 43 is provided in the top panel 41), the cut line including a out line portion 44 which is generally parallel to the fold line 39, and cut line portions 45 which extend from the ends of the cut line portion 44 to the fold line 39. The U-shaped cut line 43 thus defines a generally rectangular tab 46 which may be divided by a transverse score line 47 parallel to the fold 39 to provide an inner tab portion 49 and an outer tab portion 50.

in forming the package the bacon B may be placed upon the bottom panel 29 of the inner portion 27 of the carton A, and the end wall 36 and side walls 32 and 33 may be folded upwardly, the corner flaps 41 and 42 being folded into face contact with the walls 32 and 33. The top panel 49 is folded to overlie the ends of the bacon strip, with the exception of the portion within the cut line lf: and defining the tab 46. This tab remains upwardly while the bacon on the inner portion 27 of the carton is inserted into the tubular outer portion of the carton in the manner generally illustrated in FlGURE 2.

The carton is then sealed by adhering the inner portion 4'9 of the tab 46 to the upper surface or" the top panel 11, the outer portion 56 of the tab preferably remaining free of adhesives contact. The carton is then sealed and cannot be opened until the flap 46 is pulled free of the top panel 11. After the tab 46 has been pulled free of the outer portion of the carton, this tab may be used as a handle in sliding the tray-like inner portion 27 of the package into and out of the tubular outer carton portion. As a result, the carton may be readily opened, a portion of the contents may be removed, and the carton reclosed so as to maintain the flavor of the product.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in sliced meat package, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: i

l. A carton for meat and the like including an outer carton portion and an inner carton portion, the outer portion including rectangularly arranged top, bottom, and side walls foldaoly connected together, said tubular outer portion having a closed end and an opposite open end, the inner carton portion including a bottom panel, an end wall panel, and a top panel foldably connected along parallel fold lines, said inner carton portion being of proper size to fit within said outer tubular portion with the end wall panel closing the open end of the outer carton portion, and with the top panel underlying the top panel of the outer carton portion, and a flap cut from the top panel of the inner carton portion adjoining the line of fold connecting the top panel to the end wall panel and hingedly connected to the end wall panel along the last named line of fold, said flap overlying the upper surface of the top panel of the outer carton section and being adhered thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 662,560 Floyd Nov. 27, 1900 1,072,185 Smiley Sept. 2, 1913 1,755,579 Grupe Apr. 22, 1930 1,862,829 Roeinpler June 14, 1932 2,160,164 Palmer May 30, 1939 2,954,151 Buttery Sept. 27, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,223,004 France Ian. 25, 1960 

1. A CARTON FOR MEAT AND THE LIKE INCLUDING AN OUTER CARTON PORTION AND AN INNER CARTON PORTION, THE OUTER PORTION INCLUDING RECTANGULARLY ARRANGED TOP, BOTTOM, AND SIDE WALLS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, SAID TUBULAR OUTER PORTION HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPPOSITE OPEN END, THE INNER CARTON PORTION INCLUDING A BOTTOM PANEL, AN END WALL PANEL, AND A TOP PANEL FOLDABLY CONNECTED ALONG PARALLEL FOLD LINES, SAID INNER CARTON PORTION BEING OF PROPER SIZE TO FIT WITHIN SAID OUTER TUBULAR PORTION WITH THE END WALL PANEL CLOSING THE OPEN END OF THE OUTER CARTON PORTION, AND WITH THE TOP PANEL UNDERLYING THE TOP PANEL OF THE OUTER CARTON PORTION, AND A FLAP CUT FROM 